Entries tagged with:
salone

Blofield is known for its inflatable chesterfield arm chairs and sofas… spotted at Superstudio Piu ~ an inflatable BATHTUB! And it was incredibly sturdy! Complete with champagne bucket and wood rack for wine glasses, naturally. Can’t find images of it online at the moment, but you can see my few detail shots on the next page!

Bottega Veneta Home Collection was one of my happy surprises this Salone ~ i showed you the fun pop up shop with an incredible curated selection of goods from Japan as well as exclusive and my new favorite Wine Opener i couldn’t resist there… well here is a look at the beautiful leather seating collaboration with META and Poltrona Frau (with classic Bottega Veneta woven pillows!), beautiful Murano glassware (with the bases etched with the iconic weave pattern), stunning Intreccio Svanito porcelain tea services in collaboration with German porcelain manufacturer KPM (with what almost look like charcoal rubbings of the iconic weave)… Creative director, Tomas Maier says “Many of the new furniture designs came out of customer requests, so they feel like natural next steps. Philosophically, the collection reflects Bottega Veneta’s commitment to meeting the needs of our customers with pieces that are versatile, understated, and beautifully crafted.” I had no idea that you can buy or order these in any of their stores… take a peek at the beautiful pieces on the next page! (I’m lusting after the couch and glassware…)

Magis was incredible this year, so many stunning pieces. Perhaps the most experimental and fascinating was the Sparkling Chair by Marcel Wanders. It’s like the PET water bottle chair of sorts… complete with mock-labels matching frizzante water… There was even a pop up space in Tortona with walls covered in prototypes, sketches, and more, and to see the process to find the perfect weight, colors, concepts were truly inspiring! This is his lightest chair yet, weighing in at under 1kg ~ and it finds its strength not in the material, as much as it does the air and pressure within (imagine your bottle of sparkling water before you open it?) While i’m not sure how i feel about the material chosen, it is interesting to see that its blow molded, and really that the concept plays on the idea of lightweight/minimal material usage in combination with the strength of air pressure… without having that terrible feeling of inflatable furniture? Take a peek at lots of angles of it in person, sketches, prototypes ~ as well as a video of him chatting with Fabio Novembre about it (while seated ON the prototype!) on the next page!

On designer impulse buys this week ~ the last place i expected to buy a matte black silicone painted japanese wine opener… was when popping over to check out the Bottega Veneta Home collection opening reception in their pop-up shop… But there it was, amongst a series of irresistible black metal minimalist beautiful pieces i had to talk myself out of, until i ended up with simply this “OWL” Wine Opener by Hagino Mitsunobu… the inner spike within the coil is lovely! I’m quite smitten by it, and as i write this post, i finally just tried it out! (It’s been a busy week!) In addition to the many closeups, unboxing pics, in action pics and more on the next page… also take a peek at the other pieces from the collection i was tempted by on the next page…

On standouts at the Fiera this year ~ the green and wood combination pulled me right in. Designed by Giulio Iacchetti for CASAMANIA, the BEK is a small but eye catching table. It looks like an excellent option to live underneath my Droog parasol. The main feature of this table is concentrated it is leg, composed of two identical metal elements: the combination of these two halves creates a unique object, perfectly adapted to be mounted between the table and its base. The series, including the BEK chair, were designed in 2009 but now for 2010 they are available in this new shade of green that looks super nice combined with natural wood. Additionally the matching BLOOM bookshelf is adorable as well! See images and more info of both on the next page!

On amazing surprises, i never expected a quick rush out to the Bottega Veneta launch between a cocktail appointment and dinner would prove to be one of the most inspiring experiences this trip! Also… totally tempt my shopping gene… Bottega Veneta featured a pop-up store store filled with unique, pleasing and travel ready items, which are apparently not readily available outside of Japan, as well as a small collection of Bottega Veneta products designed exclusively for the occasion by their creative director Tomas Maier. Simple, beautiful, and irresistible… housed in their new Milan office near Lido… and sadly only open for a few days! The products were absolutely stunning! And i totally gave in and bought an amazing wine opener… so FIRST, take a peek at the pop up shop offerings on the next page… and more to come on the wine opener and actual home collection (which is also totally lustworthy)…

It’s fun to step back from the design madness here in Milan during the design week ~ and really just appreciate how AMAZING details in and around the city are too… so in the evening we popped up to the roof of the Hotel Dei Cavallieri at sunset and the views are truly awe inspiring. Then a late night wander lead us through the Duomo and Galleria ~ and with big camera in tow, naturally couldn’t help snapping away… it’s just breath taking ~ even after seeing it so so many times on a daily basis for over a year… But the best details? Bizarre mylar ballons that escaped some poor child’s reach, only to create a silly juxtaposition in all my pics of the Galleria grandeur… there’s a tiny hot pink unicorn/pegasus up there… and in the hallway the next day… a tank. See it all on the next page!

While rushing to a Molteni/Ferragamo event on Montenapoleone the other night (which was definitely a fire hazard with the number of people crammed in the store!) ~ i was pleasantly surprised and amused by the Citroën DS3 Design Driver ~ a huge red lamp serving as a lounge as you popped out at the Montenapoleone metro. A lamp that sized ~ wow ~ you just can’t help but smile when you see it!

According to FuoriSaloni - “The most refined heart of the city, Piazzetta Crocerossa, on the corner with Via Montenapoleone, will stage Citroën DS3 Design Driver, an original installation which will be used to unveil the latest creation to come out of the Citroën stable, the DS3, launched on the Italian market on the 21st of March. The installation bears the signature of the architect Fabio Rotella, whose aim was to create an “Open Air Living Room” where a six-metre-high lampshade covers and illuminates a lounge area… The large lampshade is reminiscent of the Venini lampshades hosted by Citroën in the lounge area as a valuable testimonial to a major name in Italian design. The unmistakable creations of the historic glass maker illuminate the exquisite chairs, recreating the atmosphere of an ideal lounge in which to meet and share ideas, projects and creativity.”

Perhaps one of our favorite finds while running around Ventura Lambrate ~ the amazing AXECHAIR! As part of the Made In Arnhem (Netherlands) exhibition Weltevree presented their beautiful AXECHAIR designed by Floris Schoonderbeek (whose Dutchtub, we loved and lusted after for some time now!) The AXECHAIR is a chair made of wood and cast aluminum, with a surprising use of existing axe handles by Swedish company Gränsfors, Gränsfors Bruks has manufactured axes and hatchets in Sweden since 1902. The unambiguous and powerful joints are directly derived from the way axes are made.

Floris Schoonderbeek on the Axechair: “Gränsfors is an inspirational company in terms of both its technology and its culture. The Axechair is actually a statement of identity - a statement about Gränsfors, the company and the village. And this has produced a practical chair, sturdy yet elegant.

On random ideas ~ i secretly wish they would do a version of this with the American Axes - Best Made Co! Can you just imagine how fun the incredible boxes would be? And the fun colored handles? Ahhh, a girl can dream! But firstly, check out the amazing pics (both from the booth, as well as making of pics!) on the next page of the AXECHAIR!

p.s. Just noticed the standalone page (with minimal information) on the Axechair: “The Axechair reflects this trip to Gränsfors with ice fishing, axe throwing and spending a Sunday afternoon on the ice. Back in Holland, Floris started to design the chair with the gathered materials from Gränsfors. Axechair, a romance between Dutch elegance and Swedish axe construction.”

There’s nothing that says comfort food ~ like walking down the street and smelling that fresh apple pie in the air… as we strolled through the new Milano Salone design area, Ventura Lambrate, suddenly there was the smell of apples baking wafting through the air… and adorable signs promising “fresh pies + coffee + hot butt” ~ the adorable team of Public Pie from the Netherlands was out making fresh little apple pies in muffin trays in one of the courtyards! And they looked so cute, i had to take some pics for you! (Sadly, we found it just after a huge lunch, so didn’t get a chance to taste!) Take a peek at the fun branding, pie making, and experience on the next page!

One of the objects that caught our attention at the Ora-Ito showroom in zona Tortona was the cool looking Furtivo (very appropriate) knife, designed for french knife makers, Forge de Laguiole, with its all black metal minimalist styling and carbon fiber inlays makes it a very desirable pocket friendly accessory. See more pics of it on the next page!

About to run out to try and actually check out the insane fiera filled with design goodness ~ but wanted to leave you with some of the many stickers and street art bits that keep grabbing my attention as i wander through the city! Some fun silly craziness on the next page! Enjoy!

Post apocalyptic techno camps with an 80’s florescent pyramid teepee flair - filled with pillows and and imacs and kids hanging out… this was the scene at Nike’s new art space, Nike Stadium ~ current set up designed by the collective, Super (Thomas Ruff, Richard Previdi, and Massimiliano Buvoli)! I love the way the sections of the pyramids are single florescent bulb lengths… The three pyramids are Green, Yellow, and Red ~ the colors of the subway lines ~ and the graphics are of San Siro Stadium. Additionally the event for the space had live painting ~ and a look at the making of the Mercurial Vapor Superfly II ~ including looks at Ronaldo’s foot molds… I’m excited to see what else will pop up in some of the beautiful gallery/event spaces in the Nike building, it promises to involve more engaging community focused arts and events! Take a peek at pics of the installation on the next page!

Spotted at Milan Salone Satellite 2010 ~ Fresh From The Mint ~ Six graduates from Academy of Art and Design Offenbach, Germany showcased their unconventional and diverse approaches. Loved the material combination designer Nico Reinhardt for his Stooltypes_01-04! Take a peek at closeups on the next page! It’s also fascinating to see how they are put together!

While exploring Milano Salone Satellite 2010, i was taken by Frame Series, the premiere collection of Rends Design, the design duo Masanao Furkawa and Kaori Akiyama! The quality of the pieces feels incredible ~ so strong, yet delicate in the curvature. With simple elegant lines and a strong japanese modern aesthetic ~ the piece i’m most lusting after is the sofa! Sadly, they didn’t have a prototype of that pieces at the show! The Easy chair is even more comfortable than it appears, and they truly had to pry me out of there after a full day of walking the show floor! Take a look at the images of the collection (and a few fun booth pics!) on the next page…

(On a quick silly side note/disclaimer, Leo and I were actually looking for our grad school friend, Masa, and this ended up being his booth! But no one was in the there at the time! But we loved the collection! It was pretty funny when he finally called, and we looped back to find his booth number, only to realize it was his work we already liked while passing by!)

Ahhh, Veuve Cliquot ~ they’ve become one of my design week staples around the world ~ that shade of Veuve yellow is starting to feel synonymous with inspiration, i guess they’ve trained me well! For the salone 2010, they’ve launched two new designer collaborations in their Clicquotsphere. The first is The Tasting Gloriette with the Campana Brothers (a playful modern twist on the gazebo of sorts, using coiled thin metal to mimick and overgrowth of champagne vines on a bent wood base… resulting burning man yurt style contraption to relax under and a central nest cradling a champagne bucket). The second is “Once Upon A Dream” by Mathieu Lehanneur ~ a retro futuristic looking bed ~ that is SO much more than a bed. It’s more of a luxury sleep experience created to help you get the best rest physically possible, optimized for jetlag recovery ~ through special lighting, white noise balancing, ideal temperatures, and curtains to create that womb like effect… there is even a plant hanging beside you which is used to control the lighting (coolest living light switch?) ~ and its even designed in conjunction with sleep scientists! Sadly, the best sleep is apparently alone, so this bed is just for resting! Both of these pieces will be installed in the Veuve Clicquot Hotel du Marc which is opening in spring 2011 (and it’s not a hotel at all, so much as their super guest house in Reims)… and in full Veuve Clicquot fashion ~ the champagne never stopped, the music was fun, the food was delicious, and they had unexpected surprises like keys you could try your luck to unlocking prizes… and even a special mailbox where you could write postcards which they will mail from Reims! See lots of pics on the next page…

One of the most breathtaking things i’ve experienced, perhaps EVER… is this MIlano Salone2010 Swarovski Crystal Palace. It is a sensory overload in all the right ways, taking the idea of sparkly objects to a new and undeniably attractive new level… each and every piece literally transforms a room, and to be in rooms with others who are standing there quietly in complete awe, it almost feels as if everyone is in the presence of an otherworldly being. It is both incredibly calming and zen while still perhaps impressively luxurious and excessive… So take a look at some of my favorite pieces ~ unlike press photos that tend to have no one in them, you’ll see the photos i loved best ended up being with people! And giving you more of a sense of scale and awe ~ the interaction with the spaces if nearly as fascinating as the pieces themselves! Pics on the next page!

It’s not often that the rear of a sofa draws you in… but with Nika Zupanc’s new Modesty Sofa, its hard not to look! The way the black sateen bow pops off the bent wood is just stunning. As she describes it. “In a world of demanding circumstances, this is a noble move. In spaces hungry for some identity, a discreet black ribbon comes as a pleasurably stimulating theme.” Also check out the black aluminum legs on the modesty sofa~ and the silk upholstered seat and backrest are lovely too! Not to mention they are housed in a life sized dollhouse of an exhibition space in Superstudio Piu covered in golden pinwheels… pics on the next page!

Wow. The Jellymongers, Bompas & Parr (If they sound familiar to you, maybe you remember some of their culinary artistry on NOTCOT.org ~ from glow in the dark jelly, to jelly architecture ~ to giant punch bowl parties!) surprised me with an email saying:

If you are in Milan, we are doing the opening party on Tuesday night at the Villa Realle with Fergus Henderson. We are doing aperitivo three ways
1. Straight drink
2. Solid form - alcoholic jellies moulded like italian design classics
3. Gas - a vast breathable cloud of Campari.
It is going to rock.

And then suddenly i HAD to make sure no matter what happened with all the other events tonight, that i ended up over at Tutti a Tavola’s opening party, because “a vast breathable cloud of Campari”! SO, unfortunately i made it over too late to partake in the aperitivo with jello shots molded into espresso glasses, espresso makers and campari bottles… but i did get to play in a gas chamber of Campari goodness, twice! It’s an incredible sensation you certainly have to try at least once! Also, it makes for some really cool dramatically creepy pictures… only thing that would have topped it off? Having ingo maurer’s campari lamp suspended in the center of the gas chamber. See the fun pics on the next page!

Popped by the De Padova opening tonight and can’t get Patricia Urqiola’s Lavenham Executive chairs out of my head. They describe it as “For dining and meeting tables, or behind a desk. Lavenham Executive reprises the quilted pattern on the back of the chassis of the Lavenham chair. A versatile, transformable seat: nude, with a small cushion, or covered with a matelassé housse, put on or removed with a single gesture. The base plays with the materials and finishes. The legs are in oak-stained ash wood, while the swivel version has a base in aluminium, polished or with white or black satin paint finish.” It’s like hypermodern chanel quilting as you approach it, with a satiny eggshell matte when you settle into it. Each of the different bases give them such a different character… i’m craving them for a fun dining/conference table look. See more images on the next page!

On random adventures today, went to go find the Dom Pérignon Black Box by Marc Newson collaboration ~ special travel/gift packaging for the Dom Pérignon 2000 vintage. While i love the colors and playful way it photographed… i must say, as far as product collabs to save for years to come, this one feels a bit like plastic packaging, versus a solid reusable champagne cooler like some of his previous 3 collaborations? This polycarbonate black box is designed to play with the iconic shape of the bottle, and keep it perfectly chilled for any occasion, with a design that is said to “resists the wear and tear of transport and keeps Dom Pérignon perfectly chilled, even in the hottest destinations.” It does look awesome in pictures though, and i love the green on black! Also you have to check out the coolest robot of a street art piece i ran into on the way there too!

I currently have a thing for super multipurpose furniture… especially the type that is versatile and beautiful enough to fit in both inside and out! Launching at the Salone in Milan in a few weeks ~ here is a peek at Expormim’s new “Nido” by Javier Pastor. Isn’t it just perfect for the simple mod california house… or out on the deck? And it’s so very NOTCOT, coming in only black and white! See a close up on the next page…

PART I: WIN 1 of the 500 limited edition Tom Dixon Comet Lamps for Veuve Clicquot. (side note: i'm already jealous of you, whoever you are that will win.) For a chance to win one, you have until Tues APRIL 28th midnight PST to leave a comment telling us about your first time.... with champagne ~ and we'll pick one winner randomly (but you have to tell us about your first sip, or first bottle, or... well, you tell me!)

PART II: Veuve Clicquot Out of the Box launch in Milan ~ although i wasn't able to be there and take pics my way, VC was kind enough to send some pretty fun ones over, that seemed worth sharing! The space looks awesome, and they have some great shots of the designers with their respective launch pieces. Great to get a chance to see what they look like in reality (versus the renders we first saw). So take a peek at those on the next page...

As promised ~ i just got an email filled with the images of the full Tord Boontje 2009 collection for Bisazza. So, while i won't be able to make it in person, on the next page you can see the 3 new pieces that Tord Boontje designed with the beautiful Bisazza tiles. I must admit i'm a huge boontje fan for his usual beautiful nature inspired clean vectory patterns ~ and this is about as pixelated as you can get from that. I love how they look like mosaic blocks, you wouldn't necessarily guess that there are drawers and shelves and goodies hidden within them! Don't hate me for saying this (or blame the heat) ~ but the vertical pieces do remind me conceptually of that IKEA Malm headboard with the hidden roll-out shelves ~ of course with more beautiful materials and mosaics applied! I'd love to have one of these as a side table, or behind the couch... and the coffee table, filled with spirits is just breathtaking as well...

Take a look at all three pieces from various angles on the next page ~ as well as the full press release!

This is Garrett Smith's brilliantly simple table support for heavy backpacks that doubles as as a massager for back 'knots' caused by heavy backpacks! Or... purses? Perfect for all of us ladies with the giant ever growing purses and those silly table hangers barely hold them up sometimes (not that i'd trust my dslr to be suspended in a busy restaurant by one!)... And the massager option is so nice... except for the part where you'd need someone with you to help implement it properly? Anyhow ~ this is one of many fun projects being shown by SAIC in Milan this year!

Get a preview of the many projects and exhibitions here... Garrett Smith's project is part of the THE EXPANDING CLASSROOM Exhibition - News ways to live and learn - at FuoriSalone - Danese Milano April 22 - 27 at Via Canova 34-20145 Milan, Italy. "Students from SAIC, in collaboration with Danese Milano and American designer Jonathan Olivares, examined contemporary behaviors and contexts of education, study, and learning." See more images of this project on the next page...